Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert will continue to play the underdog in 2023 after NFL executives, coaches, and scouts ranked him as the fifth-best signal caller in the league during a recent ESPN poll.
Herbert, who has seemingly done nothing but win for Los Angeles, was ranked behind Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has struggled to find his footing under center in recent seasons.
1. Patrick Mahomes
2. Joe Burrow
3. Josh AllenExecs, coaches, scouts and players rank the NFL's top 10 quarterbacks for 2023 ➡️ https://t.co/KVHY5qgdBa (via @JFowlerESPN) pic.twitter.com/MYBjqUxGwY
— ESPN (@espn) July 17, 2023
These rankings are by no means empirical, but they definitely seem to favor quarterbacks on teams that have found success in the playoffs rather than valuing production in the regular season.
Herbert has led L.A. back to relevance since taking over the starting spot back in 2020, and if it weren’t for the Chargers’ total defensive collapse in January’s playoffs, he likely would have taken a top-three spot on this list.
His career 94:35 touchdown to interception ratio and 14,089 passing yards speak for themselves, and the prospect of having the 25-year-old passer under center for the next decade-plus should be plenty of consolation for fans who take exception to Herbert’s place in ESPN’s poll.
